Room 307: Chicago / Book 1 [Hemsworth | Styles]

Chapter 5

As the door closed behind us, I thought I could still hear Callum stomping down the hall. 

"What was THAT about?" Kate turned and asked. Liam still had his arm around me. I felt numb, almost, as if my brain hadn't caught up with what just happened. I didn't want to catch up.

Liam answered instead. "Her oaf of a friend," his voice was cutting, precise, "didn't seem to like me too much. 

"Why," Kate asked, "did he like you?"

I was struggling to find my voice when Liam said, "he liked her plenty." He was trying to make me laugh, I wasn't in the mood.

Kate raised her eyebrows. She must have realised, though, that I was dazed because she pulled me from Liam's arm and said, "Kiara, look at me." 

I looked up slowly. For some reason, it felt as if my insides had turned to liquid.

"You don't know this guy," Kate began. "This random is an idiot. Callum," the name stung my ears, "obviously has issues beyond your control.  And you've never been one to mope around after a guy."

That's because I'd never had one, I thought. 

"If you want my two cents," Liam added, "he punches like a girl."

Something about the way he said that made me laugh. And then Kate was laughing and Liam was laughing too.

"This is just so ridiculous," I said. I was starting to get over Callum's meltdown.

Because that's what it was. I reminded myself. It was a meltdown.

"Ridiculous boys for a ridiculously attractive girl," Kate said and squeezed me into a hug 

I laughed again.

"There are plenty of fish in the sea," Liam said.

There was something in his voice that made me hesitate, before I laughed along with him.

"You're both right. We hadn't even ever said the word 'hello' to each other. I don't even remember where his dorm is. He has a girlfriend!" I ranted out a couple more things that made me realise how idiotic it was to get caught up over this guy. 

Callum, I used his named like an insult in my head. Callum who?  

In much better spirits, I said, "I'll let you two catch-up, I'm just going to go ah, have a shower."

"You kissed him, didn't you!" Kate laughed. "Kiara!" She jokingly told me off. 

This guy had brought something out in me that even my best friend didn't recognise. Who the hell did he think he was?

I was determined to just get back to normal life, remembering that I had an assignment due and actually wanted to go for a swim.

There were three things I enjoyed at Chicago State: my literature class, swimming by myself ridiculously early in the mornings and popcorn to eat while I crazy-watch TV shows.

Today I planned to do all three.

Of course, as I started to undress for the shower, I saw it. Out of the corner of my eye was the blue lily, sitting on my bed. Kate must've put it there after I left. 

I walked over to it and picked it up. It really was a pretty flower.  The silver string, though, seemed to have lost some of its shine, or maybe I'd just lost admiration.

I carried it into our bathroom and tossed it into the small trashcan.

And now, I'm officially done.